On Cold Nights
by ghibli22
Summary: Shinji's parent's are fighting and he just wants to get away for a little bit. A little unconventionally he ends up at Kamio's house, where his friend acts as the comfort he needs as well as makes a promise that both changes everything at the same time as it works to keep things the same. Shinji/Kamio.


**Author's Note: Since Fudomine has a reputation as being one of the poorer schools you can attend, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the students had a bad home life. This fic plays off that idea a bit, but is mostly about two people realizing that they're more than just friends. Enjoy :)**

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The night was cold, the air crisp and frosty, misting in white puffs in front of Shinji's mouth. Pulling himself up onto the roof without too much trouble he sat with a thud, turning his gaze up to the stars. While stargazing had never been much to talk about in their little suburb he could still make out a few of Gemini's key points through the haze of the streetlights. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he started to mumble to himself.

"Why do they keep fighting like that. It isn't healthy, I'm sure one of them will end up getting hurt soon. That's what happens in fights, like the one Sakurai got into last week where he got a black eye but that isn't important because Sakurai is a child and my parents are adults so if they ever got into a fight with more then words they may really hurt each other. I don't want either of them to get hurt. They're my parents after all and I wouldn't have anywhere to go without them and I like my room and my Gundam action figures I got for my last birthday. I wonder if the neighbors are going to call the police on them for being so loud. They might, I could hear them from the front door on my way out so they're probably still very loud. I hope they don't though it would be a bother..."

Shinji trailed off, opening his eyes and lifting his hands to his mouth so he could blow on his fingers. It was colder than he'd thought it would be and he'd left his gloves and scarf back in his room. All he was wearing was his Fudomine jersey over a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, but he didn't want to head back yet. Even if his lips turned blue. Maybe if he got frostbite then his parents would realize how horrible their fighting really was and-

"Shinji? What the hell, Shinji is that you?"

Oh yeah. He was hoping that would happen, wasn't he? Turning to look over his shoulder his gaze connected with Kamio's, the brunette leaning half out the window with a look of shock on his face, "Good evening, Kamio-kun, it is a very nice evening although its pretty cold. I should have brought gloves with me but I forgot, I suppose that's my fault isn't it. Kamio-kun, do you have any gloves I could have?"

Shaking his head like a dog Kamio held a hand up, "H-hang on! Don't go anywhere!" And with that he vanished back into the house.

Shinji sighed, turning back around and closing his eyes, "Stupid Kamio where am I going to go from sitting on the roof? Unless something interesting happened or my parents came to get me..."

It didn't take long for Kamio to reappear, slipping out of the window and pulling a blanket through with him. Leaving it open a crack so they wouldn't be locked out he carefully walked over before settling down next to him. He wasted no time in scooting close and wrapping the blanket around both their shoulders. Shinji already felt much warmer but didn't bother opening his eyes to look at his friend. Kamio knew him well enough by then not to need him to anyway.

For a while Kamio didn't speak. Shinji could feel his movement, alternating between looking at the street and looking at him. He knew it was probably hard for Kamio to stay quiet this long, especially when he had just shown up like that. Finally opening his eyes he looked at him, "If you have a question Kamio-kun just ask it. I know it must be hard for you to be displaying such a high level of tact as to not say anything until I talk so it's just easier this way."

"Why you-!" Kamio exclaimed, brow furrowing and mouth dipping into an angry scowl, "I have plenty of tact!"

"Then how would you explain that time Tachibana-san was in the hospital and instead of something nice you just bought him lots of shoelaces. He wasn't even able to wear both shoes for a long time let alone his tennis shoes and-"

"Alright!" Kamio said, clamping a hand over Shinji's mouth. Shinji just looked at him and they locked eyes for a few seconds before he reached up and removed it from his face, "So... What happened?"

"My parents were fighting and it was too loud so I left," he responded simply. He didn't have to say anything more to Kamio for him to understand what was going on and what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry your parents suck sometimes."

Classic Kamio, just putting into words what he was thinking. Shinji nodded, "Its fine."

It wasn't but Kamio understood that too, "Do you know why they were fighting?"

"Mom said that Dad doesn't love her anymore and that she thinks he's sleeping with his manager or something. And then Dad said that she doesn't care about him anymore because she always forgets to make him lunch in the morning and wash his work pants even though she just stays at home and doesn't work. And she said it was his fault that she didn't work. Because she had to take care of me. Which is stupid because she just watches tv and I've been making my own lunches for school since I was seven and doing my own laundry since I was nine."

"Shinji-" Kamio tried to stop him but he was on a roll now and wouldn't stop.

"It's all stupid actually because I've heard them say that they love each other and if they didn't love each other then why would they get married. It's a waste of time otherwise. Or maybe they do love each other and this is just what love does to people. If that's true then I never want to be in love. But I don't know what being in love means. I think it means caring about someone more then anyone else and if that's true then that's Kamio-kun because I care about Kamio-kun more than my parents or anyone else on the team or our teachers or the cat that sometimes comes and sits on my porch. But if that means that we'll start fighting and being angry every day then I don't want that because Kamio-kun is the most important to me and-"

"Shinji!"

At Kamio's yell he shut his mouth, the air suddenly growing silent around them. He was aware that he hadn't let go of Kamio's hand since he'd pulled it away from his mouth. There was a part of him that wanted to let it go and another part that wanted to hold onto it like a lifeline.

"Dammit, Shinji." Shifting his body a little so that they were facing each other more Kamio reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, "I care about you a lot too, and I'll be damned if we end up like your asshole parents."

"Kamio-kun shouldn't swear so much what if one day you accidentally do it in school and get detention and then-"

Kamio covered his mouth again, "Listen to me Shinji! I care about you too, and I promise you and I won't end up like them, got it?! I can't say that we'll never fight, hell I think even the Golden Pair fights sometimes. But what I can promise that I'll always be there and how much I care about you won't change. You're my most important person too, you got that?"

Shinji nodded slowly, once again taking Kamio's hand from his mouth, "I'm cold, Kamio-kun."

Slipping the blanket off but allowing it to stay tucked around Shinji's shoulders Kamio stood, offering a hand. Taking it he stood as well, making sure he had all the fabric bunched up so he wouldn't trip. Without letting go of each other's hands they walked back, staying quiet as they slipped back in through the window and into Kamio's room. Neither of them had any illusions that Shinji would be going back home that night. Not speaking a word to each other they slid out of their clothes until they were both just in boxers, Kamio pulling on a pair of pj pants before sitting on the bed. As was habit Shinji sat down after him, settling between his legs and leaning back, their bodies pressed together and Kamio's chin coming to rest on the top of his head. He reached back to pull Kamio's arms around him before taking the blankets and covering them both.

It was Kamio who finally interrupted the silence, "Shinji? Do you ever think about us?"

He nodded, "I think about Kamio-kun a lot."

"No, I mean what we are. To each other."

"We're best friends. And I don't want to be in love. But Kamio-kun promised, so I guess it's okay.

Kamio's grip tightened around his waist, "So... Would that mean we're boyfriends?"

"Would things change if we were boyfriends instead of best friends?"

He felt Kamio shake his head, "I don't think so. At least not much. I've never had a boyfriend before."

Shinji closed his eyes, "Okay. We can be boyfriends. I wonder if we already do things that boyfriends do. Sometimes I hear Sakurai talking to Ishida about how close we are and I didn't think it was that strange but maybe we've just been boyfriends already and haven't noticed. Hmm..."

"Shinji..." Kamio said with an exaggerated tone of exasperation, pulling him closer. Shinji tilted his head so that he could hear his friend's heartbeat. It was something he'd done before but he hadn't bothered to count the beats. For some reason the number seemed important now. As he mumbled his count under his breath he was sure it was something his parents had never done. Maybe it was those little things that you made sure to remember and care about that would keep them safe.

Kamio's hand came up and started to stroke his hair as he counted. After he stopped, the beats per minute ingrained in his mind, he propped himself up a bit, looking at him, "I like your rhythm, Kamio-kun."

Cheeks tinting pink Kamio continued to run his fingers though his hair, "Do you think we should kiss?"

"Is that something boyfriends do?"

"Yeah."

"Will it change us?"

Kamio shook his head, "Nah. I won't let it. I promised."

"Would you be upset if I said no?"

"Of course not. Do you want to say no, Shinji?"

For a second they just stared, neither moving from their positions. Then Shinji leaned in and Kamio cupped the back of his head. They both closed their eyes and their lips met, and it wasn't phenomenal and there weren't fireworks, but it was simple and sweet and perfect in its own way. And when they pulled back and looked at each other again it only took a second for their lips to clash again - and this time there were fireworks.

Kamio's lips were thin and a little dry but they still managed to massage his own in the most simultaneously caring and sloppy manner. Both of his hands snaked up into Kamio's hair while the hand on the back of his head tightened its grip just enough to make him feel grounded. Their bodies were warm against each other and he couldn't remember feeling cold.

When they broke apart Kamio gave a sheepish little smile, the color still dusting his cheeks, "I think I like that change."

Shinji hummed in agreement, rearranging himself so he was lying next to Kamio instead of in front of him. They both scooted down so that the covers came up to their shoulders and their heads could rest on the pillow. Turning on his side Shinji closed his eyes as Kamio's body came to wrap around him again.

"I don't like your parents very much..." Kamio commented quietly, "They make you sad, and whenever you're sad its like you're stranded in a world all by yourself. But I don't think that I can hate them as much as I did because... Well, because if you hadn't come here tonight we might have never become boyfriends."

"... Kamio-kun is stupid."

Behind him he felt Kamio bristle, "What did you just-!"

Turning his head to the side he placed one hand on his partner's cheek, bringing their lips together. It was an incredibly effective method of quieting Kamio's easily-incited rage, as well as quieting his mouth. He wondered loosely if Kamio would ever use the same method on him.

Sighing softly Shinji settled once more after pulling away, "Kamio-kun is stupid because you think I need to be cheered up more. But you should know by now that this is just my face and I make it all the time and that I don't need to be cheered up anymore because I have Kamio-kun and now we're officially boyfriends. But Kamio-kun is also stupid because I think we were already boyfriends and we were just the last ones to know it."

Kamio let out an annoyed puff of air into his hair, which normally just meant that he was thinking, "Yeah. We probably were."

Shinji took his hand and tangled their fingers, closing his eyes again, "Stop talking, Kamio-kun."

"That's rich, coming from you..." Kamio mumbled but settled down as well, sliding his legs forward like a protective wall against his own, "... How'd you get up on the roof anyway?"

"I climbed on top of the garbage cans."

"Oh. Don't do that, you could hurt yourself."

"Its not like Kamio-kun hasn't climbed in my window before."

"Yeah but that's... shut up."

Shinji nudged him in annoyance to which Kamio responded by kissing the top of his head, the smallest sound of laughter escaping his lips. There was nothing special about what they had done that night and Kamio's bed was small and a little lumpy on the right side. But it was comfortable in its own way, simple and exactly like it had always been. Maybe overall everything wasn't perfect, and they had family to worry about and school and tennis, but in that moment things were as good as they had ever been. And as they both started to drift off, neither boy was aware of the soft smiles that graced both of their lips before they fell into a blessed sleep.


End file.
